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Sunday, February 26, 2012

When it is sunny outside, I go to the garden to do an inventory of what is poking from the ground, what is blooming and what needs to be done as soon as possible.

Love this plant - Sedum rupestre (Angelina Stonecrop). It's evergreen and always looks bright and fresh! It's low and spreading, so it's a good groundcover! I've never seen a single weed growing through it. It has lovely star-shaped flowers, but even without them, it looks good. It is trailing, so it's suitable for containers. It easily breaks, but it easily roots too. What else is on my potting bench? Periwinkles and helleborus. I always plant extra seedlings into small containers for an easy giveaway, as pot fillers and as ready plant material for new beds.

I cut Sedum Autumn Joy for a February outdoor bouquet. I love this plant too. It looks wonderful all seasons.
What are potting benches for? For potting! This is a bowl that I filled with three Amaryllis plants.

Since they won't withstand winter temperatures, I took the bowl inside.

Moss is always available in my Pacific Northwest garden.

Helleborus is another favorite. It's time to cut its old leaves. It'll allow to see the white flowers better, and it'll give a chance for new fresh leaves to grow.

Helleborus foetidus also is hardy, reliable and easy to grow. Love its pale green flowers!

New to my garden - dark-flowered Helleborus that I got from my friend:

These pansies were covered by the snow for several days in January. Here they are, undamaged and blooming again!

Miniature daffodils and primulas are another staple in my garden:

Alliums join the ranks of tough and beautiful plants:

And, this is a surprise! My fall-planted white cabbage were eaten by rabbits and slugs. Only a couple of them were left on the raised bed just as some decoration. Well, I noticed in February that the plants not only survived the winter but developed new heads!

Sun doesn't last long nowdays, so it's time to do at least one garden chore - pruning clematis. Tangled with magnolia vine Eastern Prince, it didn't bloom well the last two seasons. I decided to do a radical pruning and left only several inches above the ground. I don't have anything to lose!

26 comments:

Hey Tatyana,What a fantastic news that every plant came well trough the winter. Overhere it is different. A lot of people's roses were frozen. Beautiful to see your garden wakes up from winter "spring is there"Have a nice sundayMarijke

I absolutely love your potting bench and all the little rusty decorations...just my style! I have the same white hellebore with the pink freckles. So fun to hang out in your yard with you. Here in Tennessee we are about 3 weeks ahead of schedule...it's been different for sure.

Ah, the promise of spring! Your amaryllis - which I've never grown myself, but my mother had a few over the years - remind me of a visit we paid to a family friend from my father's youth when I was about ten. She was a specialist grower of flag irises and amaryllis, and there must have been half an acre solidly packed with stock beds of iris and amaryllis in bloom. I often think my love of flowers was given added impetus that day...

It is always so wonderful when we see our plants have made it through the winter and new growth is coming up. Your Hellebore's are just so lovely. I need to cut the leaves on mine also so thanks for the reminder. The new puppy looks like it is fitting in. LOL! Have a wonderful week.

Hi! Your Feb. garden looks so cute and delicate but soon it will change to bold beauty! I have always been a fan of Hellebore Foetidus...I need to get one in my garden. I too, love how you incorporate the potting bench in this post. It looks well-used and lovely! Good luck with the clematis!

Love the potting bench, a lot!!! All of your photos are just gorgeous for late Feb. We are having damp weather as of late, I'm sure the slugs are starting to move in. I have returned back to my original blog. Just click my name, hopefully I can get back on some type of blogging schedule.

Hi Tatiana, February in your garden is a lot of pushing and shoving, the plants want to see the light. Your potting bench looks so pretty, how do you do it? Here the light is getting more mellow while yours is getting stronger. It is still hot and humid, and lots of work in the garden; this weather makes the garden grow, the weeds too! lovely to see your garden awakening; happy spring gardening. T♥